Steven Lannoo
Missed opportunity to greatness
C+When you think the party is going to be lit but ended up bland.
The first thing I cannot forgive this show is the clear lack of complicity in the leads’ acting. You. Need. To. Step. Up. Some if not many actors play in BLs to gain experience and visibility in the process. You might as well go for it all the way. Push it further and let go because you’re here to tell a story and deliver. I don’t know, I think it could have been much better with a different cast.
Steven Jiang seemed more self-assured and in it than his partner. At the end, it also felt a little off, I don’t know if it’s just me. Either they didn’t give it their best or they didn’t have enough will to it together.
It felt simple, tl;dr. Need it spicy.
The story starts off well and promising. Shi Yi Jie reminds me of one of my teachers at the uni whom I had a little crush on. Therefore it felt relatable though not enough since there wasn’t the level of rising tensions there is when you fall for someone to the point where it even crosses some boundaries. I mean, romance-wise, I wasn’t sold. The 16 yo kid who almost sells his ass in the street somehow becomes dead inside at 19 and doesn’t want the relationship and just keeps doing chores and taking care of the teacher’s daughter. The teacher who somehow fell for him tries and pursues him playing the therapist. It was flat. Where’s the passion? The excitement? Maybe it was too household-y. What’s with the ex-wife sudden comeback? Why so much of the little girl? There wasn’t enough of the scenery necessary to the character internal focalisation.
Nice concept. Barely exploited.
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Top Raw KBL
S-You can only truly taste the flavour of coffee without sugar.
I cannot but review contextually as it's 2022 now. I haven't seen any better BL as of now I must say. Let's start with what's a thing as we all know and regret: the length. I'll give it a pass since it was made 5 years ago and still done like nobody else could. It's basically a movie. I congratulate the production for having done the best possible they could with what they were given.
The plot is nothing fancy really, but it's oddly refreshing. Killers aiming at each other's throat end up playing in bed.
My liking the drama so much I think comes from the realism of it. It didn't feel like things were forced on me to believe as they felt familiar and close to my understanding of the realities about queer people.
And daaaamn!! Good job to the actors who gave in! You killed it. Really, it was cute, sexy and beautiful.
Clearly a lead. You should watch this.
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Quintessential bromance to romance
A+Like kiwi, bitter at first bite with a sweet aftertaste.
I want to give it the same critics as Be Loved in House: I Do, i.e., not a top tier drama but still a very much appreciated discovery. The difference is that the former is a slow burn romance whereas the latter is a bromance quickly turned into a strongly built long term romantic relationship. Once you acknowledge your deepest feelings for someone, it's almost impossible to go backwards as though these feelings could disappear as easily as they emerged.
Give in and let it in!
Another aspect I felt was even stronger in this one is that the actors seem even more comfortable with each other, to the point where people have even questioned the actors' relationship. HEAR ME OUT! Nobody has the right to judge what's beside the work. Stay in your place and let people live.
This drama is all in all a strong recommendation.
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What a shame
B+It felt like listening to a song starting off wrong then turning beautiful right before it suddenly stopped.
I thought this would be a simple high school plot. It turned out more mature I imagined it’d be in the second season. I’d been given passion through discomfort, resentment and repression, To My Star wise. However, everything was shattered with a simple reconciliation leading to a plot lacking the slightest spark. The leads have been put aside to give space to unnecessary subplots. The story ended with episode 4.
Notwithstanding the aborting season 3, what had become a good surprise quickly turned into a disappointment.
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I live for this shit
A+It felt like sweet orange juice in the morning, delicate yet powerful.
This one belongs to the best of my collection. I wouldn’t qualify it as top tier but it was certainly a nice discovery. The strength of this show lies in the lead; both actors committed and delivered. Actors playing in a romance must trust and feel comfortable with each other. They were wisely chosen and it didn’t feel awkward at any moment. Besides, they’re hot and look great on screen.
I’m all here for gay men giving in and just letting themselves carried by and act upon their feelings. From the shyness of the beginning as they get to know each other to the passionate union, I’ve been given it all alright: mystery to discovery to proximity. A crush—hurtfully hard to get—that gives you a hard time even trying to convince yourself that anything else at that moment could be at least as fulfilling. In the end, you can’t ignore it and it feels so right to stop defying the idea that you can’t access this satisfaction. The conflicts, obstacles and distractions are here solely to let you enjoy the freedom to give yourself to someone who as gladly gives themselves to you.
The plot is nice, nothing fancy really but enough to ensure angles are covered.
The music is fine.
The second couple is appreciated but not as strong as the lead’s.
If you are looking for sweetness, cuteness, sexual tensions and love, you’re there.
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